Unfortunately, not every quick-service restaurant can afford to buy a new drive-thru system every couple of years. However, by doing a little drive-thru maintenance on a regular basis you can extend the life of your drive-thru headsets and keep small problems from turning into large ones. Below are the four most common issues seen in drive-thru headsets, along with solutions to keep your drive-thru system running longer.

1.       Ear foams falling apart or missing

Ear foams aren’t often thought about until they are falling apart, or completely missing altogether. Replacing them at least every 60-90 days will not only improve comfort, but also improve drive-thru sound quality and promote good hygiene. And with ear foams being one of the least expensive drive-thru headset accessories, it’s a no-brainer.

2.       Visible fractures or cracks
Small cracks may not seem like a big deal, but if liquid gets inside the casing it can seriously damage the electronic components of your headset. If that happens, your headset can be deemed BER (beyond economical repair), which means you would have to purchase a new headset to replace the one that was sent in. To save money in the long run, send in your drive-thru equipment for repair at the first sight of fractures or cracks.

3.       Stuck or broken buttons
If you aren’t able to communicate with other crew members or customers due to a broken or stuck button on your headset, it can really cause issues with speed of service and overall customer experience. Weekly maintenance will help reduce the chance of this happening. If you aren’t sure how to clean your drive-thru equipment, refer to your user’s manual. If a button is completely broken, send your headset for repair.

 

4.       Batteries taped to the headset

When a latch on your drive-thru headset breaks, it may seem like a good idea to tape the battery in place and continue working. What happens, though, if a drive-thru battery isn’t seated properly in the headset, is it causes drops in communication. You could be in the middle of taking an order and lose connection without realizing it, causing communication gaps, and potentially slower service and incorrect orders. It's best to send it in for repair, rather than taking that chance.

By taking proper care, you’ll be able to extend the life of your drive-thru equipment, saving you money down the road. Make sure that routine checks are done to ensure ultimate drive-thru efficiency. For more information on how to increase the life of your drive-thru system, call 877-731-0334. Our technical support reps are happy to give advice and help with any of your drive-thru needs.

 

Everyone knows summer is one of the busiest times of the year for quick-service restaurants. With the weather warming up and schools letting out, more people are traveling and looking for affordable eating options on the go. If you haven’t started your drive-thru maintenance, now is the time to get on the ball. When you’re expecting heavy traffic, you want to make sure your business is fully prepared. CE not only provides the best quality service at the lowest price, but also provides discounts and specials so you don’t have to break the bank in order to have your drive-thru equipment running properly. Below are five ways to save with CE:

Bonus Bucks--For every $100 you spend on drive-thru repairs, CE will send you $5 in bonus bucks. You can redeem these with any future drive-thru repair. Simply place the bonus bucks in the box with your broken equipment and CE will deduct that from the total repair bill.  

New Customer Discount--Haven’t used CE before? Just for giving us a try, you’ll receive up to 50% off of any all-in-one drive-thru headset or belt-pac for any HME, Panasonic, or 3M drive-thru system. On top of that you will receive a four-month warranty on your repair.

Current Customer Discount--If you frequently use CE, there is an option for unlimited repairs at a low monthly fee. CE’s Drive-Thru Protection Plan covers all models and brands of drive-thru equipment. With a Protection Plan you can expect to receive reduced downtime at your store, high-quality parts and service, and peace of mind, knowing that your system is covered.

Free Drive-Thru Battery Specials--Many underestimate the power of the drive-thru battery. It not only keeps your headsets functioning, but when using newer, fully charged batteries they increase the amount of time between charges and also improve drive-thru sound quality. If you’re looking to purchase a drive-thru battery, consider ordering more than one at a time. They are always useful, and when you buy three you’ll receive the forth one free!

Multi-Store Discount--CE understands that keeping your drive-thru equipment in its best condition can get expensive. Running multiple stores can calculate to multiple repairs in a given month. That’s why CE offers up to 25% off select products and services for multi-store owners. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice great service to stay on budget.

The last thing you need is for your drive-thru equipment to take a vacation when everyone else is. So grab those busted headsets, dust off those dirty belt-pacs, and send them to CE. You'll get them back refreshed and ready to work, just in time for the summer rush.

Many calls that come in to technical support are from people who are having issues with their drive-thru headsets. More specifically, it’s an issue with the sound quality of their drive-thru headsets. What many people don’t know is that their headset could be experiencing sound-quality issues as a result of a drive-thru battery that is approaching its expiration.

Many drive-thru batteries are meant to last about 400 charge cycles. If you are charging them every day, that will give them a life expectancy of about a year and one to two months. Most stores carry at least four and sometimes up to six or seven batteries, so the general rule is to replace them every one and a half to two years. In case you forget or simply don’t know how old your batteries are, most drive-thru battery chargers have a built-in diagnostic light that will come on when a battery has reached the end of its life. This will remind you to purchase a new one. Also, most drive-thru batteries will have a manufacture date on the back of them. If the date is more than two years old, it’s definitely time to recycle them and order more.

There are many benefits to new batteries. They last longer in between charge cycles so you don’t have to charge them as often, they help keep your headset from cutting out when you’re speaking to a customer, and they help minimize the sound of buzzing and static which improves the overall sound-quality of your drive-thru headsets.

If you’re thinking it might be time to order some new batteries, now is the time to do it. CE has a great drive-thru battery offer, buy three and get the fourth one free! This includes batteries made for all brands of drive-thru headset systems including HME, 3M, and Panasonic.

What are you waiting for? Call CE today 877-731-0334 and take advantage of this battery promotion before it’s too late! Your employees and customers will thank you.

With all of the rain, wind, and snow during the winter months, it’s likely you will have some drive-thru maintenance to do when the sun peeks through. Use the checklist below to ensure your drive-thru equipment is performing at its best all year round.

Drive-Thru Speaker Post: Check the vents in the speaker post to make sure they aren’t clogged by leaves, mud, or any other debris that could have become wedged during a storm or high winds.

Drive-Thru Lane: When there is a lot of snow or rain it can cause cracks and potholes in your drive-thru. So check your drive-thru lane for any cracks, especially near your order point and also at your cash and pick-up windows. If moisture gets down into the concrete it can disrupt the underground loops that detect your vehicles. 

Menu Board: Check your menu board during the day and also at night. You want to make sure that all of your electrical components are working correctly and that your menu board is free of any debris. Replace any lights that have shorted or burned out. This is also a great opportunity to check that your menu board is current. Look over the menu items as well as the prices to ensure you aren’t misleading customers.   

Drive-Thru Headset System: Test all drive-thru headsets and batteries. If you come across any that aren’t working, call CE’s technical support at 877-731-0334. If the problem cannot be solved over the phone you can use the free shipping label located on the website to send in your drive-thru headset repairs. If you need a new drive-thru battery, you can also purchase it on CE’s website.

Drive-Thru Timer: Compare your reports from the past few weeks. If you see something that looks out of the ordinary, pay close attention to your remote display. Is it detecting every car? If it only detects some and not others, or doesn’t detect any at all, contact CE’s technical support. They will help you troubleshoot the problem and recommend the next steps to take.

With your post-winter checklist completed, you will have the confidence that your drive-thru is in optimal condition. Sit back and watch your sales spring ahead.

I’m an owner of a quick-service restaurant in Oklahoma with an HME System 30 Timer and a 3M XT1 Headset System. In the winter we have a heck of a time with thunder storms and, wouldn’t you know, a lightning strike near my restaurant took down a power line and caused us to lose power throughout my entire store. We were left in the dark for several hours until the utility company could get out and restore our electricity. Once everything came back on, a surge caused my drive-thru headsets and timer to malfunction.  At this point anyone would be stressed and irritated. The last thing I wanted to do was sit on the phone with two separate companies, giving all of my information twice, in order for two separate technicians to come out and fix each piece of equipment.

Fortunately one of my shift managers took one of CE’s magnets off the filing cabinet and tossed it to me. Turns out CE repairs and services all major brands of drive-thru systems. Instead of taking up all of my time on two separate phone calls, I was able to have one of their technicians come out and repair both pieces of equipment at the same time. The convenience alone is a great reason to use CE for anything drive-thru related, but what puts them above the rest is their quality of work and the pride they take in the services they perform. Since the electrical outage, I have used CE for a couple of drive-thru headset repairs and to purchase a new drive-thru battery.

Whether it’s for a drive-thru intercom or timer system from 3M, HME, Fast Track or other, CE handles all drive-thru needs.  Their prices are the best in the market that I’ve seen, and their turnaround is the quickest.  There’s a reason why CE is the best, and you can count on me to be a life-long customer.

 

If you have broken drive-thru headsets, belt-pacs, drive-thru battery chargers, or timer systems, everyone knows that CE is the best place to send your drive-thru equipment for repair. But did you know that CE also provides onsite installation and service?

For drive-thru equipment problems that can’t be fixed by troubleshooting with technical support or shipping them for repair, CE has installation and service providers nationwide to help. Here are a few common problems CE technicians can fix onsite:

-Broken loops

-Bad speakers and microphones

-Wiring issues

-Malfunctioning vehicle detector boards

-Installation of base stations and drive-thru timer systems

-And more!

Whether you have HME, Panasonic, 3M, or any other major brand drive-thru equipment, CE is your one-stop shop for all your drive-thru maintenance needs. Don’t need any repairs, but can use a new drive-thru battery or other drive-thru accessories? CE also provides small accessories for all major brands. They even have an online shopping cart for your convenience. Now that’s what I call a full-service company!

“Can I get a la    che   ger   with    ion and no    kles?”

Have you had a situation like this in your drive-thru where the person keeps cutting out, or there is so much static in your headset that you’re having to ask them to repeat their order two or three times? It’s not only frustrating for the customer, but also for the employee taking their order. Most often people think that the headset must be broken, or that there is an issue with the speaker, or that the entire drive-thru system is busted.

There are situations where that is the case, but often times it’s a less severe problem than you think. Here are a few ways to troubleshoot your drive-thru sound quality before wasting time and money sending in equipment that might not be broken.

Try a few different headsets. If the sound quality is clear in any one of them, then you can eliminate the base station and drive-thru speaker post as the cause. Take a headset that sounds clear, remove the battery, and place it into the headset that is not working properly. If that headset now sounds clear, then it could be that you have a battery that is low on juice or is just getting old. Most drive-thru batteries have a manufacture date on the bottom. If the battery is more than two years old it should be recycled and a new one purchased.

Clean the connections with an alcohol pad. If drive-thru equipment isn’t cleaned on a regular basis, then grease build-up occurs and can get into the electronic components. If it gets into the battery compartment, it can interfere with the connection between the battery and headset, causing static and audio cut-outs.  Turn off your headset, take the battery out, and clean the connections with an alcohol wipe where the battery and headset meet.

Move to another area of the store. If your headset only gets static or cuts out in certain areas of the store then there could be an issue with the antennas on the base station. Someone may have removed one of the antennas to adjust something else in the base station and forgot to screw it back in, or when the antennas were screwed in they weren’t tightened down correctly. Unscrew each of the antennas all the way and re-thread them back in, making sure they are secured properly.

If you are still having issues with drive-thru sound quality, call in to our free technical support. Our friendly staff will troubleshoot further to narrow down exactly where the problem is occurring and help you get back up and running in no time.

CE, the leader in drive-thru equipment repairs and accessories, announces three special offers for new customers.

 

First month free with CE drive-thru protection plan

Why worry about the high cost of drive-thru repairs? Our protection plans give you peace of mind with unlimited repairs at one low monthly payment. Sign up now and your first month is on us!

 

Drive-thru headset and belt-pac repair special

If you’ve been putting off needed repairs, now’s the time to check out CE. As a first time customer with CE, we’ll give you up to 50% off the cost of any all-in-one headset or belt-pac repair. Offer is good for HME, Panasonic, or 3M drive-thru headsets, and comes with our 4-month warranty. Some restrictions and conditions apply.

 

Free drive-thru battery special

You can never have too many drive-thru batteries on hand. Purchase three CE branded batteries for any HME, Panasonic, or 3M drive-thru system and we’ll give you a fourth one for free. This offer is available to new and existing CE customers, and is valid only on CE-branded batteries. Free battery must be of equal or lesser value.

Call 877-731-0334 today to learn more about these great offers!

Everyone likes to get something for free.  During the CE free drive-thru battery special, when you purchase three CE batteries for use with your HME drive-thru system, we’ll throw in a fourth one for free! And that goes for Panasonic and 3M systems as well. Simply add three CE brand drive-thru batteries for the same system to your online shopping cart, and we’ll add the fourth battery to your order when you check out – for free!

 

This limited-time offer includes the following drive-thru batteries:

 

CE Battery for use with HME systems:

• Wireless IQ
• System 2000
• System 400

 

CE Battery for use with Panasonic systems:

• Attune
• WX-C920
• WX-C1020

 

CE Battery for use with 3M systems:

• XT1
• C960
• C1060

 

Never thought you could get rewarded for having to deal with damaged, run-down, or broken equipment and having to deal with the headache of sending in for a drive-thru repair? CE Repairs values their customers and understands the hassle and stress that may be caused when a drive-thru repair is needed. CE Repairs want to help lessen the stress and offer different rewards to their valued customers.

Customer Drive-Thru Repair Rewards

There are up two six different offers that our valued customers can take advantage of when working with CE Repairs.

1.       Drive-Thru Repair Protection Plan - receive your first month free, unlimited repairs for one low monthly price after your first month free of charge!

 

2.       Spend money get money back! CE Repairs Bonus Bucks, allows you to receive $5 back with every $100 spent at CE Repairs.

 

3.       Referring someone also puts money back in your wallet! CE Repairs drive-thru referral program works like this: every new customer you refer you will receive a $25 Amazon.com gift card, while that referral customer will receive 50% off their drive-thru headset repair or drive-thru belt-pac repair.

 

4.       Receive up 25% off select products and services with CE Drive-Thru Repairs Multi-Store Discount.

 

5.       Purchase 3 CE branded batteries for any HME, 3M, or Panasonic system and you will receive a fourth one free of charge!

 

6.       Purchase 2 CE branded headsets from the three major brands, 3M, Panasonic and HME and receive a third headset free of charge!

 

Call CE Repairs today and start getting rewarded for drive-thru repairs! 877-731-0334